Field
The disclosure relates to a fluidized bed reactor for producing titanium chloride from titanium-bearing slags.
Description of the Related Art
Titanium tetrachloride can be prepared from chlorination of titanium-bearing raw material in a reducing atmosphere via a carbochlorination reaction. Carbochlorination is a high temperature (800-1000° C.) reaction performed in the presence of Cl2 gas and petroleum coke as a reducing agent. The chlorinator applies either fixed-bed chlorination or fluidized bed chlorination methods.
In a fixed-bed chlorination method, ground, powdered titanium-bearing raw material is mixed with petroleum coke and a binder, and is formed into briquettes. Fixed-bed chlorination methods are rarely used today due to low reaction rate and low heat transfer efficiency. In fluidized-bed chlorination methods, titanium-bearing raw material and coke are fluidized by Cl2 and other process gases associated with a carbochlorination reaction. Titanium-bearing slag has 65-95% TiO2 as a major component and other minor components (Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, SiO2, Al2O3).
Presently, only titanium slag having a content of MgO and CaO less than 0.1% is acceptable as a feedstock for continuous TiCl4 production in fluidized-bed carbochlorination commercial plant.